Seats have been attached to vans using numerous styles of attachment members. Many of the attachment members allowed seats to pivot out of the position used for driving. Other seats have been designed to be easily removable from the vans by unlatching and/or unbolting the seat. However, these seats are typically designed to be either folding seats or removable seats.
The seat attachment members of the past have oftentimes utilized springs to hold a hook into the latched position. In order to disengage the seat, the biasing force of the spring had to be overcome. As the spring became worn, the latch could bounce out of position allowing the seat to become disengaged.
Many seats tended to use complicated latching mechanisms to provide a positive lock of the seat in the appropriate position. As technology progressed, mechanisms for moving seats to a variety of positions became motorized. This allowed the latching means to become automated as well.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved detachable van seat.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a van seat that locks in position by frictional engagement of the members without the use of automation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a van seat that is both pivotable and easily removable from the van without the need for tools.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a van seat that is easily inserted into the van.
It is yet another object of the invention to allow a seat arrangement that is easily removable and leaves a substantially flat portion of the van for storage or hauling items.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a van seat that locks into a driving position without the use of springs.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a locking means using an eccentric or over-centering loading that allows a rod to move linearly in a slot as the handle of the rod is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the rod.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a locking means for attaching a van seat to a floor of a van using an eccentric or over-center loading to provide a positive snap lock so that vibration and other external forces do not inadvertently unlock the seat mechanism.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a locking mechanism for attaching two parts to each other using an eccentric or over-center loading attached to a rod on one end and a link member on the other end whereby rotational motion of a handle connected to the rod is translated into substantially linear motion of the rod and link.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an over-center lock where two rods are moved to a latching position by the movement of one handle.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by a provision of a detachable seat arrangement or pedestal which allows an upper portion of the seat supporting apparatus to both pivot about a rod-like member and also be easily detachable from the van without the use of tools. The pivoting allows easier access to parts of the vehicle and increases storage space. The novel locking means includes two rods attached to a tube plate. These rods are insertable into two slots of a base plate and movement at least one rod secures the tube plate to the base plate.
The first rod is insertable into a substantially U-shaped slot while the second rod is insertable into a substantially L-shaped slot and has a handle connected on one end. A link connects the first rod to the second rod on each side of the tube plate. The second rod is attached to two circular discs acting as drive cranks or levers which are in turn attached to the two link members. The second rod is attached to each disc near an outer edge of each disc and the link is connected near an edge of the disc opposite the edge where the rod is connected. This connection allows rotational movement of the rod handle to cause a substantially longitudinal linear motion of the rod within the L-shaped portion of the slot. Over-centering loading associated with stops provides a snap-action lock using tension forces of the rods within the slots. The U-shaped slot includes a a slight indentation opening towards the direction of the L-shaped slot. This indentation provides a lock of the rod as the handle and link urge the rod into this indentation. The vertical component of the rotational motion is taken up as the link member pivots about the first rod member and moves downwardly in a substantially vertical direction. Thus, rotational motion of the handle causes substantially longitudinal or horizontal movement of the rod and substantially vertical motion of the links. The tube plate and floor plate are locked together by frictional forces as the rod moves beyond a point of eccentricity in relation to the pivotable connection between the rod and links. In other words, a single lever control is used for attachment and over-center loading and latching of two connecting rods.
The invention provides a simple latching means to hold a seat in the vehicle and a pivoting means to tip the seat forward. The pivoting means allows the seat to be easily removable from the vehicle body simply lifting the first rod out of the substantially U-shaped slot. The eccentric or over-center locking means can be readily used to attach a number of objects to each other.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the acompanying drawings.